The Post War Dream
by Kylestra
Summary: Hal told Maggie about his post war dream, but then he gets taken by Skitters right before her eyes. Will Hal get to live his post war dream or is there nothing left but nightmares? Set at the end of season 3.
1. Chapter 1

The Post War Dream

**Summary:** Hal told Maggie about his post war dream, but then he gets taken by Skitters right before her eyes. Will Hal get to live his post war dream or is there nothing left but nightmares? Set at the end of season 3.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of it and I'm not making any money from this, although if anybody wants to pay me to do this it would be greatly appreciated. Payments in chocolates are especially encouraged, and yes I know people don't read the disclaimer, but still it's worth a shot right?

**Author's note:** I started writing this almost right after the season finale of season 3. When I had written about half the story my hard drive was damaged and I lost everything. With great relieve I dug out the backups I had made, I opened the backup of this story and realised I had made the backup just before I wrote some of the most important (and difficult) parts of this story. I bravely refused to cry (Although the cussing has probably gotten me uninvited to the block party), but I was too disheartened to start over, so I gave up on the story. Then season 4 started and suddenly I was once again inspired and decided to go for a rewrite after all. This means **this story ignores all of season 4!**

* * *

_Should we shout, should we scream  
"What happened to the post war dream?"_

_-Pink Floyd_

* * *

"Why are you pushing me away?" Hal asked almost casually as he scanned his surroundings using a sniper scope.

"What makes you think I am?" Maggie retaliated.

Hal snorted. "I'm not stupid Maggie."

"Fine what makes you think I owe you an explanation?"

Hal shrugged. "Because just a couple of months ago you said you weren't gonna give up on me and that you wouldn't run away this time."

Maggie remained awfully quiet.

"From where I'm standing it looks suspiciously like you're running." Hal continued.

Maggie opened her mouth to answer, but stopped when Matt came running up to them.

"Five mechs and at least twenty-five skitters, dad, Weaver, Pope and Tector are in position." Matt reported in between trying to catch his breath.

"Then all we're waiting for is Ben and Deni." Maggie announced, a little too relieved by the change of subject for Hal's liking.

"Well, that didn't take long." Matt quipped as the first explosion sounded not too far away.

Hal and Maggie rushed to their bikes and jumped on.

"Hop on Matt." Hal announced and Matt climbed on behind him. "Hold on!" Hal told him as they sped off.

* * *

One more mech crashed to the ground and Maggie cheered. "Four mechs down and one to go!"

"And one bike down unfortunately." Hal stared morosely at the smouldering remains of Maggie's bike. "Three people won't fit on one bike."

Maggie shrugged. "I guess we're walking then."

"What's this we? You wrecked it, you walk." Hal smirked.

"Uhm guys?" Matt pointed down the street where another five Mechs had appeared, and sure enough another five appeared on the other side of the street as well.

As the first explosion shook the ground Hal pushed Matt inside the nearest building. "Inside! We've got to hide, we can't fight this!"

"Basement!" Maggie shouted over the noise of another explosion.

Even underground the explosions from the Mech fire shook the earth. Maggie immediately started searching the basement for anything they could use.

"Hal I'm scared." Matt admitted.

Hal pulled his little brother into a tight hug. "It's gonna be alright Matt, we just have to wait it out down here."

"And we're in luck, there's a whole stash of food here!" Maggie called from the back of the basement.

"See..." Hal started, but suddenly the loudest explosion yet shook the building. Hal threw himself on top of Matt just before the ceiling came down and everything went black.

* * *

"Hal? Hal wake up, please wake up!"

The desperation in Matt's voice was all the motivation Hal needed to open his eyes. "I'm awake Matt." He coughed out. It took a moment before he could focus on Matt's tear stained face, there was blood mixed with the salty water. "Matt are you hurt?"

Matt shook his head. "Not bad anyway."

Hal tried to move and managed not to scream out in pain too loudly as his left leg exploded in white hot pain.

"Hal?" Matt's voice wavered with fear.

"I'm okay, my leg is just trapped underneath something." Hal tried to sound confident. A cough sounded from somewhere. "Maggie, are you okay?"

"I'm in one piece, but I think I'm trapped." Maggie answered.

Hal cursed inwardly. "Trapped how?"

"Boxed in, I can't move any of it, can you get help?" Maggie asked hopefully.

Hal threw the beam pinning down his leg a dirty look, he knew without trying that he wasn't going to be able to move it. "No, my leg is trapped, I'm not going anywhere."

"Well, that sucks." Maggie summarized.

"I can get help." Matt stood up determined.

"Matt!" Hal grabbed his little brother's leg to stop him.

Matt knelt back down next to Hal. "I can do it Hal, I have to."

Hal nodded even though he didn't like the idea at all. "Just be careful Matt... I love you." He added.

"I love you too, I'll come back with help, I promise!" Matt hugged Hal, then climbed out of the basement.

* * *

"So why are you pushing me away?"

"This again?" Maggie sighed.

"Well, you can't run away now." Hal answered and Maggie could almost hear the sad smile which she knew he was wearing right now.

"Speaking of running, how's your leg?" Maggie skilfully changed the subject.

"It's not good, but there is really nothing I can do about it right now, so why are you pushing me away?"

"Because..." Maggie stopped, she knew she owed Hal an explanation, but she would have to have an explanation first.

"Because is not an answer." Hal huffed in annoyance.

"I know that." Maggie snapped. "Give me a minute."

"A minute to come up with another change of subject?" Hal asked and Maggie couldn't quite blame him for the comment.

"No, a minute to figure it out." Maggie started picking at the rubble surrounding her as if the answer she was looking for was hidden just underneath it.

"Figure out how to explain it?" Hal asked confused.

Maggie shook her head even though she knew Hal couldn't see her. "To figure out why I'm pushing you away."

"You don't know why you're doing it?" Hal's confusion had only grown.

"No, I mean, I know some things, but, I don't know..." Maggie groaned with frustration.

"Start with some things, heck, maybe I can help you figure it out." Maggie knew he wanted it to be a joke, but it hadn't come out as a joke.

"You had to tell me about your post war dream." Maggie sighed.

There was silence, then finally. "What?"

"Your dream of a suburban house with a wife and a couple of kids."

"What's wrong with that?" Hal asked affronted.

Maggie snorted. "Your dream probably includes a family dog with a stupid name like... Rover or something."

Hal was no closer to understanding the problem and it was frustrating him. "What are you talking about?"

Maggie started digging at the rubble with more vigour, the need to escape growing ever more pressing. "I'm not cut out for that."

"You don't want to be safe, have a family who love you?" Hal tried to understand, but he simply couldn't wrap his mind around it.

"Of course I do, that's why I'm scared." Maggie spoke barely above a whisper, Maggie didn't talk about her fears, she just didn't.

"Scared? What are you afraid of?" Hal coaxed softly.

"Of screwing it all up." She admitted.

Hal was quiet for a long time and Maggie could almost hear the pieces click in his mind. Suddenly she realized she was actually hearing something. "Do you hear that, do you think it's the rescue party?"

She had finally managed to pick a small hole in her prison and through it she could just make out the shape of Hal lying on the floor. For a moment she thought he was going to accuse her of changing the subject again, then he said: "I don't think so, if it was the 2nd Mass they'd call out for us, let us now they were coming."

What Hal was saying made sense to Maggie and it scared her. "If it's not the 2nd Mass then who's coming?"

Hal didn't answer her question. "Whatever happens Maggie, don't make a sound, you're hidden away, they might not see you." He ordered instead.

"What about you?" This question too remained unanswered.

* * *

Maggie was still screaming his name when they found her.

"Where's Hal, he was right here, where is he Maggie?" Matt's panicked voice broke through her sobbing, she stared silently at the spot Matt was pointing at, tears still streaming down her face.

"What happened Maggie?" Tom's shape blocked the tiny hole in Maggie's prison, plunging it in darkness. She could hear Ben directing some people away from the rubble as he started to make light work of clearing it away.

"I tried...I screamed, I tried." She finally sobbed.

"Maggie what happened?" Tom asked again gently, but fear made his voice hitch.

"They took him." She told him softly.

"Who took him?" Another gentle question tainted with fear.

"Skitters."

Maggie's prison opened up and Tom enveloped her in a fatherly hug. It took her a moment to realize he was crying too.

* * *

_End of chapter one. _


	2. Chapter 2

The Post War Dream

**Summary:** Hal told Maggie about his post war dream, but then he gets taken by Skitters right before her eyes. Will Hal get to live his post war dream or is there nothing left but nightmares? Set at the end of season 3.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of it and I'm not making any money from this, although if anybody wants to pay me to do this it would be greatly appreciated. Payments in chocolates are especially encouraged, and yes I know people don't read the disclaimer, but still it's worth a shot right?

**Author's note:** I started writing this almost right after the season finale of season 3. When I had written about half the story my hard drive was damaged and I lost everything. With great relieve I dug out the backups I had made, I opened the backup of this story and realised I had made the backup just before I wrote some of the most important (and difficult) parts of this story. I bravely refused to cry (Although the cussing has probably gotten me uninvited to the block party), but I was too disheartened to start over, so I gave up on the story. Then season 4 started and suddenly I was once again inspired and decided to go for a rewrite after all. This means **this story ignores all of season 4!**

* * *

_Should we shout, should we scream  
"What happened to the post war dream?"_

_-Pink Floyd_

* * *

Anne looked around at the horror surrounding her, starvation, disease and death. Her eyes fell on Tom and she was almost overwhelmed by the sadness radiating from him. Every time they went on one of these rescue missions Tom got his hopes up. Even after more than eighteen months he could still convince himself that this was the time they were going to find Hal, and every time they didn't Tom's heart broke a little. By now it was probably fractured so badly there was nothing left but grit. Part of Anne was also disappointed that Hal hadn't been with the rest of the prisoners to greet their rescuers. Another part of Anne was glad that at least Hal hadn't suffered through the horrors of an Alien-internment camp (another human idea stolen gratefully by the Espheni).

Two people emerged from one of the barracks, a man who was supporting a woman who was so weak she could no longer walk on her own. Pope who, though he tried hard to hide it, wasn't left unaffected by his terrible surroundings either and rushed over to help. The woman looked up at him and smiled, an unexpected sight. "John!" She exclaimed feebly.

Pope held her and stared, finally he choked out: "Melanie?"

Anne rushed over to help too, but Melanie waved her away. "Go help Pop."

The man took Anne's arm and gestured towards the barrack. "Pop's really sick, you have to help him, he always believed you guys would come, he can't die now."

Picking up her bag Anne followed the man into the barrack. There was little light inside but she could just make out two people lying on a cot in the far corner. A man with a beard covering most of his face and a small girl maybe four years old, Anne guessed, both were emaciated. When she spotted Anne the little girl got up from the cot and positioned herself protectively in front of the man. "I won't let you hurt my daddy!" The girl told her with full conviction.

The sight touched Anne and she vowed then and there that she would go to hell and back if she had to, to make sure this little girl did not become an orphan.

"Don't worry little one, I'm a doctor, I want to make your daddy better again."

"Can you? Make daddy better again?" The little girl asked full of hope as she crawled back onto the bed next to her father.

"Don't worry Bug." The man on the cot reassured the girl. "Anne is an amazing doctor."

Shocked Anne stared at the man, she didn't recognize his starved features, but she remembered those eyes. Deep, warm, hazel eyes, not unlike those of his father. Without taking her eyes off the man before her she addressed the man who had brought her here who still hovered uncertainly in the background. "Go find Tom Mason, tell him to get in here, tell him it's urgent!"

Then she addressed the man on the cot. "It's good to see you again Hal."

Hal smiled. "You too Anne."

Anne could feel the heat radiating of Hal and realized he was running a high fever. She noted the crude, bloody bandages on his left arm and feared the wounds they hid had gotten infected. Quickly she grabbed her bag, there wasn't much she could do here in these conditions, but that wouldn't stop her trying.

"Daddy?" The little girl asked softly.

Hal smiled reassuringly at her. "Yes Bug?"

"Everything is going to be okay now right?"

Hal nodded weakly. "Yes Bug, it'll be alright now."

* * *

"Anne?" Tom walked into the dimly lit barrack with trepidation, the man who came to get him had said that it was urgent, but hadn't elaborated so Tom had no idea what to expect. "Anne?"

Anne turned away from the patient she was tending to look at him. He saw unshed tears sparkling in her eyes and raised his gun in suspicion.

"Tom I found him." She said.

It took a moment for the words to register in Tom's mind, the gun clattered to the floor uncaringly as he rushed to the bed and crashed to his knees beside it. "Hal?" He choked out as he stared at the weak, ill figure before him.

"Hi dad."

Tears blurred Tom's vision as he looked into his sons deep hazel eyes. "Oh Hal..." Tom tried to find the words but he couldn't, instead he lovingly ran his hand through his sons dirty hair, desperate for contact.

"You found me, I knew you would." Gratefulness seeped through every one of Hal's words.

"You're safe now." Tom reassured but he could see safe was something Hal couldn't quite wrap his mind around and it tore at Tom's heart.

"Daddy?" The little girl's voice drew the two man out of their thoughts. Hal looked between his father and the little girl and then settled his father with an almost apologetic look. "Dad, there's someone I want you to meet." He gestured the girl a little closer. "Bug, I want you to meet your grandpa."

"Grandpa?" Tom echoed in shock.

Hal grasped weakly at Tom's hand. "Please promise me you'll look after her dad." The unspoken implication of the question hung heavily in the air: '_Look after her if I die_'.

Tom nodded desperately. "I'll look after her, I'll look after both of you."

"Thanks dad." Hal seemed to sag with relief.

"Grandpa?" A quiet voice asked.

Tom looked up and already felt his heart warm to this small creature who called him grandpa. "Yes sweetheart?"

"Can I give you a hug?" She asked almost too quiet for Tom to hear, but he did hear and he gently scooped her up. As she wrapped her arms around his neck the tears started to flow anew as Tom tried desperately not to notice how little she weighed.

* * *

"Dad, I brought a stretcher, someone said you needed it?" Ben walked into the barrack, all his senses on edge. This place was just wrong, nobody should have to live like this. He saw his dad, he was holding a little girl in his arms and anger bubbled up inside Ben, no child should have to go through a place like this.

A voice brought him out of his reverie. "Ben."

Ben had accepted that he would never hear that voice again, cried, when nobody could see him, at the thought of never hearing that voice again. Almost eerily calm Ben put down the stretcher and kneeled next to the man on the cot. "Hal?"

"Hi geek." Ben nearly lost it at the familiar greeting.

"Hal." Ben breathed his name almost reverently and reached out carefully almost afraid that his hand would go straight through and this would all turn out to be a dream. His hand touched solid flesh and suddenly everything became horribly real to Ben. He realised how bad Hal looked and how he was struggling to keep a hold on consciousness. Ben knew what he had to do, carefully but determined he scooped his brother up into his arms.

"Hold on Hal, everything will be alright."

* * *

Matt watched as Ben carried somebody onto the medbus closely followed by his father who was holding a little girl tightly in his arms, it reminded Matt of the way his dad had held him when he was younger.

"What's going on?" Matt asked as Ben gently laid the unconscious man down on a bed.

"It's him." Ben told Matt.

"Hal?" Matt asked as he turned to the man on the bed, he didn't look like Hal, but if they said it was, Matt was willing to believe it.

"We finally found him Matt." Tom said.

Maggie crawled behind the wheel of the medbus.

"Get him home Maggie." Tom said with a nod to her, Maggie didn't need any more encouragement and got the bus moving.

"Are we going to Charleston?" The little girl asked with a yawn.

Tom looked at her in surprise. "We are, how do you know about Charleston?"

"Daddy told me, he said it was beautiful." She snuggled into Tom's chest her eyes drooping shut.

Tom pressed a kiss to her head. "It is darling, just go to sleep and you can see it with your own eyes when you wake up."

"Daddy?" Ben echoed softly trying not to disturb the now sleeping girl.

Tom shrugged. "She calls Hal daddy, I don't know, maybe she's like Lexie and she grew up real fast, or maybe she's not really his, I don't know."

Matt suddenly realized something. "That makes you a grandfather." He said with a snort, Ben too laughed quietly at the thought.

"Only technically!" Tom protested weakly, but he too was smiling.

* * *

_End of chapter two._


	3. Chapter 3

The Post War Dream

**Summary:** Hal told Maggie about his post war dream, but then he gets taken by Skitters right before her eyes. Will Hal get to live his post war dream or is there nothing left but nightmares? Set at the end of season 3.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of it and I'm not making any money from this, although if anybody wants to pay me to do this it would be greatly appreciated. Payments in chocolates are especially encouraged, and yes I know people don't read the disclaimer, but still it's worth a shot right?

**Author's note:** I started writing this almost right after the season finale of season 3. When I had written about half the story my hard drive was damaged and I lost everything. With great relieve I dug out the backups I had made, I opened the backup of this story and realised I had made the backup just before I wrote some of the most important (and difficult) parts of this story. I bravely refused to cry (Although the cussing has probably gotten me uninvited to the block party), but I was too disheartened to start over, so I gave up on the story. Then season 4 started and suddenly I was once again inspired and decided to go for a rewrite after all. This means **this story ignores all of season 4!**

* * *

_Should we shout, should we scream  
"What happened to the post war dream?"_

_-Pink Floyd_

* * *

Tom and Anne both stared at the unconscious figure lying on the hospital bed.

"I cleaned out the wounds on his arm, but the infection was deep." Anne sighed. "He's still running a high fever."

Tom nodded. "What about other injuries?"

"Most of them are old, his leg looks like it was never set properly and I doubt he can walk on it, it's probably painful."

Tom took a deep steadying breath. "What else?"

Anne closed her eyes and stayed quiet for a moment gathering her thoughts. "A lot of cuts and bruises, he's covered in scars, including on his spine."

"Yeah, several of the younger ones have them including the little girl, it seems the skitters tried to harness them, but for some reason it failed." Tom explained.

"He's really weak Tom, he's malnourished and dehydrated, a fever this high in his condition..." Anne didn't finish the sentence.

Tom reached out and touched his sons arm. "I know, but he survived all this time Anne."

Anne nodded. "I'll do everything I can Tom, I won't give up on him without a fight." She promised.

"Just hold on Hal, just fight a little longer please." Tom begged softly, Hal gave no indication he had heard.

* * *

"Here you go, we're collecting more blankets so if you get cold just ask someone and we'll get you another one okay?" Maggie handed the kid sitting on the cot a blanket, he took it shyly. Maggie smiled encouragingly at him, he didn't look much older than seventeen.

"Thanks." He offered softly.

"No problem." She told him before taking her bundle of blankets to hand out across the overcrowded Charleston hospital wing.

Next to the kid a woman was lying on a bed, she smiled at Maggie as she approached.

"Hi, I brought you a blanket, we're collecting more so if you get cold just ask someone and you'll get another."

The woman took the blanket gratefully. "You must be Maggie." She said.

Maggie stared at her. "Do I know you?" Maggie tried to place her face, tried to imagine her when she wasn't starved, but she couldn't place her.

The woman shook her head still smiling. "No, no, you don't know me, but I know you."

"How?" Maggie asked a tat suspicious now.

"Pop... you call him, uhm, Hal... I think." The woman elaborated.

Maggie nodded. "Yeah, Hal Mason."

"You know, we all used to tell stories in the camp, to keep moral up or just for entertainment, but Pop's stories were the only ones who were real."

"He talked about me?" Maggie asked, it shouldn't have surprised her, but it still did.

The woman nodded. "he told us about his family, about the 2nd Mass, about Charleston and about beautiful Maggie."

Maggie ducked her head and realised she was blushing. "You know all these things about me, but I don't even know your name."

"They call me Uke, as in ukulele, I used to have one in the camp, until one particularly cold night, I had to do without after that, but the name stuck."

"I'm sorry." Maggie offered at a lack of anything else to say.

Uke shook her head determined. "Don't be, be proud, I don't think any of us would be here if it wasn't for Pop and his stories of the 2nd Mass, it's an honour to finally meet you Maggie."

"I don't think he told you the whole story." Maggie told her earnestly before returning to her assignment.

* * *

Anne put the little girl down next to the tub Lexie was filling with warm water. "Hi sweetheart, my name is Anne, and that's my daughter Alexis, but we call her Lexie."

The little girl looked at Lexie. "Daddy said you were little, you're not little." She pointed out.

Lexie smiled at her. "No I'm not, you see I grew up really fast, but a smart doctor managed to stop me growing."

Now the little girl turned her attention on Anne. "You're my grandma." She stated.

Lexie stifled a laugh at her mother's shocked look. Anne shot her a glare then smiled at the little girl. "I guess I am, so what's your name sweetheart?"

"My name's Bug."

"That's the nickname your daddy gave you, what's your real name sweetie?" Lexie asked.

Bug gave her a confused look. "My name's Bug." She repeated.

"Well it's nice to meet you Bug, how would you like a bath?" Anne asked, cutting of Lexie's new protest.

"I'd like that." Bug said with a nod.

"So how old are you Bug?" Anne asked as she started to peel the dirty clothes of the little girl.

Bug thought deeply for a moment. "I'm five, I think."

"You think? You're not sure?" Lexie asked as she deposited a rubber ducky in the water.

Bug's eyes were drawn immediately to the brightly coloured toy and she stared at it in awe. "Uhm, When I came to the camp I told them I was four, We uhm, don't know when my birthday is so we celebrated it on the date when I first came to the camp, uhm, we celebrated one birthday in the camp, so I think I'm five." Bug explained without taking her eyes of the ducky.

"You want to play with ducky?" Anne asked and Bug nodded enthusiastically. "Well in you get then." Anne told her and lifted her gently into the water.

"It's like she's never seen a rubber ducky before." Lexie whispered to her mother as Bug examined the yellow toy almost reverently.

Anne sighed sadly. "She probably hasn't, or at least not that she can remember."

* * *

Tom sat in an uncomfortable chair next to his sons bed, he glanced at the other bed they had put in the room on which the little girl named Bug was fast asleep. He looked back at Hal and wondered, not for the first time today, what his son had gone through in the time he had been missing.

"Dad?" Matt whispered as he stopped halfway into the room.

"Hi Matt, what's up?" Tom asked as he motioned him closer.

"I couldn't sleep." Matt admitted as he accepted a hug from his father.

"Me neither." Tom admitted. "I just kept coming back here to check that it wasn't all just a dream, so finally I decided I might as well just stay."

"I thought I'd find you guys here." Ben said softly as he entered the room.

"Right where we should be." Tom told him.

Ben nodded. "So according to a man named Bear, Bug came to the camp when she was four and Hal just sort of adopted her."

"Yeah, Bug told Anne that she came to the camp when she was four and celebrated one birthday in the camp, so she should be five now." Tom told them.

Matt stared at the little girl. "She looks way too small to be five."

"She didn't get enough to eat to grow properly." Tom explained. "Although Anne says that compared to some of the others she's not even that badly malnourished, the adults probably spared food from their own mouths to feed the little ones."

A heavy silence descended over the room.

"Hal's going to be alright, right?" Matt finally asked.

"Hal's a fighter, always has been." Tom told him. He knew it wasn't exactly an answer, but it was all he had to give right now.

* * *

_End of chapter three._


	4. Chapter 4

The Post War Dream

**Summary:** Hal told Maggie about his post war dream, but then he gets taken by Skitters right before her eyes. Will Hal get to live his post war dream or is there nothing left but nightmares? Set at the end of season 3.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of it and I'm not making any money from this, although if anybody wants to pay me to do this it would be greatly appreciated. Payments in chocolates are especially encouraged, and yes I know people don't read the disclaimer, but still it's worth a shot right?

**Author's note:** I started writing this almost right after the season finale of season 3. When I had written about half the story my hard drive was damaged and I lost everything. With great relieve I dug out the backups I had made, I opened the backup of this story and realised I had made the backup just before I wrote some of the most important (and difficult) parts of this story. I bravely refused to cry (Although the cussing has probably gotten me uninvited to the block party), but I was too disheartened to start over, so I gave up on the story. Then season 4 started and suddenly I was once again inspired and decided to go for a rewrite after all. This means **this story ignores all of season 4!**

* * *

_Should we shout, should we scream  
"What happened to the post war dream?"_

_-Pink Floyd_

* * *

Pope was snoring softly in the chair next to Melanie's bed as Matt passed the room.

"Hey kid!" she tried to attract Matt's attention without waking Pope.

"Me?" Matt pointed at himself in confusion.

Melanie nodded and waved him over. When Matt was standing next to the bed she whispered. "I'm sorry, but I'm bored lying in bed all day, and John here isn't being a very good companion right now, so I'd hoped you would indulge an old woman with a chat." She explained.

Matt smiled in understanding. "Sure, hi I'm Matt Mason."

She smiled. "I know, Pop talked about you a lot, my real name is Melanie, but everybody calls me Ace."

Matt frowned. "Pop is what you all call Hal isn't it?"

Melanie nodded. "Yes, everybody has a nickname, that way you wouldn't have to be reminded of your old life, or at least, that was the idea."

"Why Pop though?" Matt asked.

"Pop is our leader, he looks after us all, protects us as best he can, keeps us from fighting amongst ourselves, fixes our problems."

"But why call him Pop?" Mat repeated in confusion.

"Because he is like the wisest of us all, the one we all look up to, like the head of our family, our pater familias, like our wise old grandpa, hence Pop." Melanie explained.

"Hal was the wisest of you all?"

Melanie chuckled. "Yes, he was the one who believed without a doubt that rescue would come and he made us all believe that it was only a matter of time before the 2nd Mass would come to liberate us all, he reminded us that there were always reasons to live."

"How did he do that?" Matt asked his curiosity spiked.

"He told us stories, stories about the 2nd Mass, stories about his family, stories about you."

Matt's eyes grew wide. "About me? What kind of stories?"

Melanie smiled. "About how you were just a little kid when the aliens invaded and how you grew up to a brave young man who'd do anything for his family."

Matt suddenly got very interested in a bit of fluff sticking to the sheets of Melanie's bed. "Did he tell you about the last time Hal and I saw each other?"

"He did. "Melanie said beaming brightly. "He told us all how brave you were going to get help for him and Maggie when they were trapped." Melanie gently put a finger under Matt's chin and lifted it so she could look Matt in the eye. "He's very proud of you, your brother, he loves you to bits and thinks the world of you."

"I left him, I wasn't fast enough, I didn't get help quick enough and the skitters took him." Matt finally admitted the guilt he'd been carrying all this time.

Melanie shook her head emphatically. "Don't you say that, what you did was very brave and nothing that happened was your fault, and I know for a fact that your brother thinks so too."

Matt finally smiled. "Thanks Ace."

Suddenly Ace's gaze was drawn to the chair Pope was occupying and Matt realized the snoring had stopped some time ago. "John Pope, you sneak, it's not nice to eavesdrop!" Melanie admonished him, but her smile never faltered.

Pope laughed at her. "I wasn't eavesdropping, I can't help it if the two of you have no clue of what is going on around you!"

Matt looked at the two bickering, when he finally managed to get a word in edgewise he asked. "Are you two related?"

"Cousins." Melanie admitted.

"Yes and you are still a pain in the ass, just like you were when we were kids." Pope told her.

"Hmm." She hummed softly at him. "I am and you love it."

Pope laughed but didn't deny it, instead he asked: "How about some breakfast?"

* * *

Tom took hold of Hal's hand, willing him to take strength from his presence Tom started talking.

"Remember when you broke your arm when you played the final against Westbrooke?"

Tom sighed, he remembered it like it was yesterday.

"I missed that game, like I missed so many... Your mom called from the hospital, she was furious with me for not being there, quite right too." Tom looked expectantly at Hal, as if he would just open his eyes and tell Tom off for missing that game.

"The moment she said she was at the hospital with you my heart stopped. Something had happened to you, and I hadn't been there. I felt exactly like that when Maggie told us Skitters had taken you." Tom brought his hand to his face in surprise, a tear had escaped his eye and was winding a path down to the floor.

"I want to be there for you Hal, but no matter how hard I try, I keep failing you, I'm so sorry Hal."

Tom sat by the bed in silence not sure of what more to say. After a while he felt his eyes getting heavy.

"You would be more comfortable in an actual bed."

Tom's head shot up to find Ben standing in the doorway, and he realized he must have fallen asleep. "I guess I didn't really get much sleep last night." Tom admitted.

"Well Matt and Lexie are having breakfast with Bug, so why don't you try and get some sleep and I'll stay with Hal." Ben offered.

Tom looked down at Hal and sighed. "I guess it won't hurt to try."

Ben nodded. "I promise I'll sent someone to come get you the moment something changes."

"Alright." Tom stood up and with one last look at Hal and a quick hug for Ben he left the room.

Ben settled himself in the chair his father had just been occupying.

"You know you can't die on us now right?" Ben asked him casually.

"If you died on us now, that would be a totally dick move and would validate everything I used to think about you." He explained further.

"Because I'm feeling like I'm just getting to know the real you, the fighter, the caring brother, the leader."

"I've been talking to some of you followers, they adore you Hal." Ben paused for a moment. "This is where you're supposed to say: Quite right too." Silence was the only reply he got.

"They adore you and they talk about you like you're the next reincarnation of the Dalai Lama or something, just so you know the Dalai lama is a man, not an actual llama." Ben sighed, bickering was no fun when the other party didn't join in.

"If they had told me some of those stories back before the invasion, I would have laughed right in their faces, told them: no way Hal Mason would do something like that."

Ben paused again. "I have no trouble believing them now."

He took hold of Hal's hand moving closer as if this would give the words more meaning. "So you can't die on me now Hal, because I want to get to know the man you've become."

* * *

Lexie tiptoed into the hospital room, a sleeping Bug cradled protectively in her arms. "She just conked out on us, poor thing is still regaining her strength." She explained to Ben as she tucked Bug into bed. "How's Hal?" She asked when she was certain her charge was comfortable.

Ben shrugged. "I don't know, I wish he'd just open his eyes, if only for a moment."

Lexie settled herself at the foot of the bed. "It's weird, I barely know Hal, when he disappeared I was only a kid."

"When he disappeared you were only three months old." Ben told her with a snort.

Lexie poked her tongue out at him. "Yes I was only three months old, but physically I was like six." she amended.

"And now you're almost two years old, yet you look twenty-one, although you still act like a two year old." Ben laughed quietly as he poked his tongue out too.

Lexie pulled another face at Ben. "You're mean, I'm trying to make a point here."

Ben held up his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine, make your point."

"After breakfast Bug was telling us stories, about Hal."

"Telling you, or were you perhaps prodding her for info?" Ben asked with a knowing look.

Lexie ducked her head to get away from the look. "Fine, we might have asked, but she was happy to tell."

"Alright, what did she tell you?" Ben couldn't deny that he wasn't curious himself.

"She told us how she was sick in the camp a couple of times and every time Hal would bundle her up in a blanket, cradle her in his arms and sing her a song about the sun, isn't that cute?" She cast a beaming look at Ben for confirmation only to find tears gathering in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"Our mom used to do exactly the same thing when we were sick." Ben explained. "She'd make us a cocoon from our blankets and she'd sing us her favourite song, here comes the sun."

"Aww!" Lexie cooed. "He's carrying on a tradition, that's even cuter!"

Ben shook himself and wiped at his eyes. "There was I believe a point you were trying to make?"

"Oh right, nearly forgot, my point is that I love Hal, even though I barely know him because he's my brother, but all those people out there love him because he earned it, Bug loves him like a daughter because he's proven himself to be a loving father."

"And then suddenly there's a moment where you act exactly as old as you look."

"Well we can't be having that." She told him and poked her tongue out again with a smile.

* * *

"He's doing well, considering his condition."

Tom looked at Anne and frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Anne sighed. "It means that he's alive."

Tom ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "Isn't there something you can do for him?"

"I'm doing everything I can Tom, it's up to Hal now." Anne explained softly.

Tom gave Anne a pleading look."Be honest Anne, can he make it?"

"I can't give you a guarantee."

She was about to say more, but Tom interrupted her. "I'm not asking will he make it, I'm asking if there's a chance."

"Yes, there's a chance, his fever is down, only a little but still, it's something, and honestly the condition he was in yesterday, I'd expected him to be worse today, so better, if only slightly, is a good sign Tom, you just have to have faith in Hal, believe that he can win this fight." Anne pulled Tom into her arms and for a moment he held onto her as if his life depended on it.

"I'm scared Anne." Tom admitted quietly.

"I know, I know." Anne said soothingly.

"I just found him, I can't lose him again."

Anne put some distance between them so she could look Tom in the eye. "Then believe you won't, believe that he'll be alright, believe in a miracle."

Tom shook his head. "I'm not sure I believe in miracles anymore."

"I do, so I'll believe for the both of us." Anne whispered before planting a tender kiss on Tom's lips.

* * *

"Well she's got her energy back." Tom observed as Bug played tag with some of the Charleston children.

"Hal sings here comes the sun to her when she's sick." Ben said quietly.

Tom smiled. "Your mother loved that song, she said it always made her feel better, so she hoped it would do the same thing for you guys when you were sick."

"I can't believe he remembered, I had nearly forgotten until Lexie told me about it." Ben admitted.

"I'm not surprised, the last few years, before the invasion, when Hal was sick, he wouldn't let her fuss over him claiming he was too old for that, but he never stopped her when she sang to him."

"And here I was thinking Hal was such a tough guy." Ben smiled. "Although I guess he's proven that he's tougher than any of us knew." Ben added as a sobering thought.

"You should tell him that when he wakes up." Tom told him.

Ben opened his mouth and the word _if _almost came out, instead he closed it again and just nodded.

"Watch Bug okay." Tom told Ben as he spotted Maggie walking across the courtyard.

"Maggie wait up!" He called after her

She didn't heed his call and only stopped walking when Tom caught up with her and took hold of her arm. "Maggie, stop."

Maggie turned to look at him, a pained expression on her face, but still didn't speak.

"I haven't had a chance to speak to you since we found Hal." Tom told her with concern.

Maggie shrugged. "What's there to talk about?"

"Don't you want to know how he's doing?"

Maggie shook her head. "I know how he's doing, news travels fast around here, especially news about Pop."

"Don't you want to know about Bug?" Tom gestured at the little girl playing some way away. "She came to camp when she was four, Hal adopted her." He explained.

"Who'll take care of her if Hal doesn't make it?" Maggie suddenly asked.

"I will, we will, she's a Mason." Tom told her with conviction.

"Just like that?"

Tom nodded. "Yeah, and just so you know, I consider you a Mason too."

Maggie shook her head, she looked like she was going to say something, but Tom was distracted as Bug yelled: "Grandpa!" and came running over to him. By the time he turned back to Maggie, she was no longer there.

* * *

_End of chapter four. It took me a while to post this chapter, there was a line in the last paragraph that kept bugging me, I think I fixed it, I don't know, you decide. _


	5. Chapter 5

The Post War Dream

**Summary:** Hal told Maggie about his post war dream, but then he gets taken by Skitters right before her eyes. Will Hal get to live his post war dream or is there nothing left but nightmares? Set at the end of season 3.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of it and I'm not making any money from this, although if anybody wants to pay me to do this it would be greatly appreciated. Payments in chocolates are especially encouraged, and yes I know people don't read the disclaimer, but still it's worth a shot right?

**Author's note:** I started writing this almost right after the season finale of season 3. When I had written about half the story my hard drive was damaged and I lost everything. With great relieve I dug out the backups I had made, I opened the backup of this story and realised I had made the backup just before I wrote some of the most important (and difficult) parts of this story. I bravely refused to cry (Although the cussing has probably gotten me uninvited to the block party), but I was too disheartened to start over, so I gave up on the story. Then season 4 started and suddenly I was once again inspired and decided to go for a rewrite after all. This means **this story ignores all of season 4!**

* * *

_Should we shout, should we scream  
"What happened to the post war dream?"_

_-Pink Floyd_

* * *

Night had fallen over Charleston and Tom once again found himself in the chair next to Hal's bed. He had tucked Bug into her bed and he knew he should try and get some more sleep himself, but he couldn't bring himself to leave, so instead he had sat down to watch over the two sleeping figures.

"Excuse me?" Tom recognized the man standing in the doorway as one of the survivors.

"Hi, please come in." Tom invited the man in.

The man walked in quietly. "I don't mean to intrude, it's just some of us were wondering how Pop was doing."

"Of course, I don't think we've been properly introduced, I'm Tom Mason." Tom offered the man his hand and his chair.

"It's such an honour to finally meet you Tom Mason, I'm Bear." The man introduced himself and took the seat gratefully.

"It's good to meet you too Bear, as for Hal's condition, he's doing better than the doctors expected, but he still has a fever and has yet to wake up."

"My wife Uke, well she's not really my wife, Ace married us in the camp, it's probably not legal, but Uke and Pop are the only two left of the original prisoners for which the camp was started." Bear looked at Hal and sighed. "I don't think any of us would have been here if it wasn't for Pop, he's an extraordinary man."

Tom nodded. "I know."

Bear seemed to awaken from his reverie. "Yes of course you know, he's your son after all."

Bear was quiet for a moment, then he said: "He got those wounds on his arm protecting Tillie from one of the guards, he gave himself a lovely concussion one time when he saved Zen from a collapse in one of the barracks, he was always doing that, rescuing people, if the invasion hadn't happened he should have become a fire fighter or something."

"Fighter pilot." Tom told him softly.

Bear nodded as if this made perfect sense to him. "Yeah, he would've been a good fighter pilot, saving lives and fighting all at the same time, what he does best, saved me too you know, he knew I liked Uke maybe even before I knew, but I was too afraid, afraid to love in such a hopeless place, Pop made me see that it was the best place for love, I would have never made it out alive if it hadn't been for Uke, if it hadn't been for Pop." Bear nodded and then stood up. "Extraordinary man." He repeated with a nod before leaving.

Tom stared at the door Bear had just left through as he settled himself back in the chair. He once again took a hold of Hal's hand. "I guess I was wrong, I really don't know how extraordinary you really are."

Tom sat beside Hal's bed lost in thought for a long time when suddenly he felt Hal's fingers twitch.

"Hal? Hal can you hear me?"

Hal's fingers twitched again and he let out a soft moan.

"Hal, open your eyes for me Hal, please Hal, just open your eyes." Tom begged.

Hal moaned again and moved his head restlessly.

"Come on Hal, wake up for me, please."

Hal blinked sluggishly for a bit and stared at his father with unfocussed eyes. "Dad?"

"Yes Hal, I'm here, your safe." Tom told him as Hal's eyes slid shut again and he once again slid into a deep sleep.

"I'm here I've got you Hal, everything is gonna be all right." Tom kept whispering soothing words deep into the night, while Hal slept on.

* * *

"Tom, hey, Tom wake up." Somebody was shaking him and saying his name.

For a moment Tom kept his eyes shut, wallowing in the warm embrace of sleep, then reality came crashing back to him and he woke up with a shock. "Hal!"

"Shh, Hal's fine." Anne reassured him with a smile. "In fact, he's more than fine, his fever broke somewhere during the night, his body temperature is almost back to normal."

"He woke up, last night, just for a few seconds he opened his eyes."

Anne smiled warmly and pressed a kiss to Tom's forehead. "See, miracles do happen."

"Grandpa, grandma?" Bug sat up in her bed rubbing at her eyes.

Tom sat himself on the bed next to her, she immediately crawled into his lap. "Morning Bug, grandma..." Tom shot Anne a mischievous smile as he said it. "...was just telling me that your daddy is getting better."

"Is he going to wake up now?" Bug looked up at the both of them with hopeful eyes.

"Yes Bug, he'll wake up soon now." Anne reassured her while playfully swatting Tom on the arm.

"He's doing better?" Matt asked as he, Ben and Lexie walked into the room.

"He's doing much better." Anne told all of them.

"He's a fighter your daddy." Matt told Bug proudly.

Ben laughed "Of course he is, he's a Mason."

"Just like you." Tom poked the little girl in the tummy and she giggled happily.

* * *

"Out of my way, shrimp!" Matt had only turned his back on Bug for a moment to get breakfast for the both of them, and now she was on the floor crying.

"What did you do that for!" He scowled at his friend David as he picked the crying girl up off the floor.

"She was in my way Mason." David said scowling right back at him.

Matt rubbed Bug's back soothingly. "That's no reason to shove a little girl David."

David turned his scowl on the little girl in Matt's arms. "She shouldn't be here Mason, and you know it."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Matt asked, a sinking feeling developing in his stomach, he had tried to ignore the whispers around Charleston, still he had a good idea of what David's answer would be.

"None of them should be here, who knows what those aliens did to them." David snarled confirming Matt's suspicions.

"Think real carefully about what you're going to say next David, and remember that you're talking about my brother and his daughter." Matt warned as he calmly set Bug down on the floor and put himself protectively in front of her.

"She's not your brothers kid, not really, and the both of them are putting us all in danger, if it were up to me they'd all be chucked out of here today." David went on unimpressed.

"You want to lay so much as a finger on this little girl, you're going to have to go through me."

David nodded. "Fine, if that's the way it has to be."

Matt barely avoided the punch thrown at him before he threw his full weight at David. The two boys rolled across the floor both trying to land their punches as close to the others face as possible.

"Stop this right now." Strong hands pulled Matt off David. "What do you two think you're doing, we're supposed to fight the Espheni, not each other!" Maggie admonished them sternly.

"David's got a point though." A man spoke up as he helped a panting David up off the floor.

"No he doesn't, and anyone who says otherwise can come to me, and I'll make two very good points of my own." Maggie put her hands on the handles of her pistols and stared the man down.

"Fine." The man grumbled before pulling David away into the crowd that had gathered.

Maggie turned her eyes on the remaining crowd. "This girl could be your daughter, your sister, your family, these people could just as easily be you or your loved ones, so I suggest you treat them the way you would want people to treat your loved ones, the way you would want to be treated yourself, because in the world we're living in, you could become them at any moment."

Some in the crowd nodded, others grumbled, but Maggie paid them no mind. Instead she picked up Bug and pushed herself through the crowd, Matt in tow.

Bug wrapped her little arms around Maggie's neck. "Thank you Maggie.

"You're very welcome Bug."

* * *

Hal woke slowly, he felt like he was climbing out of a dense fog, but he kept going because someone kept calling his name quite insistently. Someone was telling him to open his eyes, no was begging him to open his eyes, so he did.

Ben smiled warmly at him. "Welcome back Hal."

"Ben? It wasn't a dream?" Hal asked looking around in confusion.

Ben shook his head. "No dream, we rescued you, you're back in Charleston."

"Charleston." Hal spoke the name reverently.

"It's good to have you back Hal." Ben told him earnestly.

"Its good to be back." Hal replied a smile forming on his lips.

"Don't fall asleep again, I'll get the others." Ben didn't wait for a respond as he rushed off.

"Daddy!" Bug almost launched herself onto the bed and snuggled into Hal's open arms.

"Hey there little Bug." He told her with a smile.

She smiled brightly back at him. "Charleston is beautiful daddy, just like you said."

Hal nodded. "Your daddy knows what he's talking about."

"We did it daddy, we flew away." Bug whispered.

Hal hugged her tightly. "We did, didn't we?"

Suddenly Bug sat up again. "Lexie was showing me the tree!"

"Lexie?" Hal asked in astonishment as he surveyed the woman who had come to stand by his bed.

"She's not little anymore." Bug supplied helpfully.

"I can see that." Hal told her not taking his eyes of Lexie.

"Hi." Lexie greeted him shyly.

"Hi." Hal echoed, then he smiled at her and held his hand out to her.

Lexie wasted no time, she took his hand and joined Bug in hugging him.

"I guess I'll have to stop referring to you as 'little Lexie'." Hal told her.

"Hal?" The rest of the Mason family rushed into the room, talking excitedly.

Slowly Hal drifted back to sleep lulled by the welcoming chatter of his family.

* * *

_End of chapter five._


	6. Chapter 6

The Post War Dream

**Summary:** Hal told Maggie about his post war dream, but then he gets taken by Skitters right before her eyes. Will Hal get to live his post war dream or is there nothing left but nightmares? Set at the end of season 3.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of it and I'm not making any money from this, although if anybody wants to pay me to do this it would be greatly appreciated. Payments in chocolates are especially encouraged, and yes I know people don't read the disclaimer, but still it's worth a shot right?

**Author's note:** I started writing this almost right after the season finale of season 3. When I had written about half the story my hard drive was damaged and I lost everything. With great relieve I dug out the backups I had made, I opened the backup of this story and realised I had made the backup just before I wrote some of the most important (and difficult) parts of this story. I bravely refused to cry (Although the cussing has probably gotten me uninvited to the block party), but I was too disheartened to start over, so I gave up on the story. Then season 4 started and suddenly I was once again inspired and decided to go for a rewrite after all. This means **this story ignores all of season 4!**

* * *

_Should we shout, should we scream  
"What happened to the post war dream?"_

_-Pink Floyd_

* * *

The woman sitting near the liberty tree waved Tom over.

"Hi, you're Uke, aren't you." Tom ventured.

She nodded. "Yes I am, and you're Tom Mason."

"That I am." Tom confirmed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Mason."

She held out her hand and Tom took it. "Please call me Tom, I met your husband Bear the other night."

She chuckled. "Yes, we got married in the camp, did he tell you?"

"He did, congratulations."

"Thank you, I suppose this is our honeymoon." She looked thoughtful for a moment, then shrugged and laughed.

"Your husband also told me you and my son were the camps original prisoners." Tom asked carefully, hoping he wouldn't upset the frail woman.

She nodded. "There were nine of us, in the beginning, the others are all gone now, it's just Pop and me."

"Do you mind me asking, how did my son become your leader?"

"I don't mind, I can't tell you everything, there are some things he'll have to tell you himself."

Tom nodded. "I understand."

"The first thing you have to understand if you want to know how Pop became our leader is that our little group is very much like a cult."

"A cult?" Tom echoed in confusion.

Uke smiled. "Yes a cult, Pop is our guru, our prophet and the 2nd Mass is our religion." Uke explained.

"Okay, I don't understand." Tom confessed.

"When you're in a situation like we were, you're lost, hopeless, so you try to find something to hold on to, or someone."

"My son." Tom offered understanding the explanation so far.

Uke nodded. "Yes, through everything he held onto his believe that the 2nd Mass would come, his memories of his family kept him going and we saw the strength it gave him and we wanted that too, we wanted what he had, so we let him teach us."

"Teach you?"

"He told us stories of the 2nd Mass, about his family, those stories were like our gospels, Pop the preacher." Uke went on.

"The 2nd Mass your deity." Tom stated finally understanding.

"Exactly, Pop was always the only one who could lead us, not because he was the strongest, or the smartest, but because he had the 2nd Mass, there were some who didn't understand that, but Pop knew it, and as luck would have it, he turned out to be a great leader, like father like son so I'm told."

Tom shrugged self consciously. "I don't know about that."

"Well, I'll just have to find out through personal experience then, anyway, that's how Pop became our leader, later of course he proved to us he was the right choice for the job."

"How did he prove that?" Tom asked.

"Through his actions, his devotion to every single on of us, his dedication to our protection."

Tom studied Uke closely. "But you figured it out, that it was a cult, what happened for you to keep your devotion to him even with this knowledge?"

"I told you, there are some things he has to tell you himself."

* * *

The next time Hal woke Maggie was staring at him from the doorway a far off look on her face. She didn't seem to realize Hal was even awake.

"Maggie?"

She startled and stared at him for a moment, then she said "I'm sorry." and left.

"Maggie wait!" Hal tried, but it was no use.

"Hey, you're awake again." Tom walked in carrying Bug a few minutes later.

"Daddy!"

Tom deposited the little girl on the bed next to her father. "This one has insisted on checking on you at least every hour." He told him gesturing at Bug.

"Doing a good job of looking after me I hear Bug."

Bug nodded happily. "Just like you look after me."

Hal nodded, then noticed something clutched in Bug's hand. "What have you got there?"

Bug proudly showed him a toy car. "Uncle Matt gave it to me."

Hal studied the car closely. "I can't believe he held on to this all this time, you know my grandpa, your great grandpa, gave us that car."

"He did?" Bug stared at the car with a whole new look of awe.

"He gave that car to your daddy when Ben was born and it's been in the family ever since." Tom told Bug.

Bug hugged the car as if it was her most prized possession. "Can I really have it?" She asked Hal in wonder.

Hal nodded. "It was Matt's, so if he gave it to you, it's yours now. "

Suddenly Tom chuckled. "Say Bug, did your daddy ever tell you the story of the first time Matt went fishing with his brothers and grandpa?"

Bug shook her head and was just making herself comfortable when Ben and Matt came in.

"Hey, what's going on?" Ben asked.

"Grandpa is going to tell the story of when uncle Matt went fishing. " Bug enlightened them.

"Ah no! Not that story." Matt whined. "Tell her about the time Hal almost set the kitchen on fire!" He suggested instead.

"Let's not, I have an image to uphold in front of my little girl!" Hal covered Bug's ears in mock horror. "Tell her about the time Ben tried to impress Suzy Graham." He told his father while Bug shook him off with a giggle.

Ben blushed ever so slightly. "That's a boring story, she doesn't want to hear that."

"Yes I do!" Bug interjected happily.

Tom smirked. "I'm in no rush, I think I'll have time to tell all three stories."

His three sons groaned as Bug cheered.

* * *

When Hal woke the next day Matt was keeping watch over him. Hal motioned Matt over, so Matt settled himself at the foot of Hal's bed.

"So Bug tells me you punched somebody for her." Hal shot Matt a questioning look.

Matt sighed. "It's true, this guy David had pushed her and then started talking about how she and you and all the people we rescued shouldn't be here and how he wanted you all to leave. So I told him if he wanted to lay a finger on Bug he'd have to go through me, and he was stupid enough to try."

"You know I try to teach Bug that fighting is wrong, I don't approve of people fighting amongst themselves." Hal started. "But in this particular case I might just make an exception." he finished with a smirk.

Matt took a deep breath. "Hal, I was talking to Ace."

"Hell of a woman." Hal told him with a grin.

Matt nodded then went on nervously. "She said you told her about the day the Skitters took you."

"I did." Hal studied Matt carefully.

"Hal, I..." Matt tried to find the words he was looking for, but Hal already seemed to understand what he was trying to say.

"It wasn't your fault Matt, you did all you could."

"I left, and when I came back you were gone." Matt said tears gathering in his eyes.

"You were very brave that day, I might not have been there when you came back, but Maggie was, she needed you." Hal told him.

"But I wanted you to be there."

Hal opened his arms and Matt buried his face in Hal's neck.

"I know Matt, but I want you to know I'm so very proud of you, and that the memory of you being so brave for me down in that basement, it helped me be brave."

Matt wiped his nose on his sleeve. "Really?"

Hal nodded seriously. "Really, you shouldn't blame yourself I never blamed you all right?"

Matt nodded too. "All right."

"Good." Hal stated satisfied "Now tell me about everything that happened while I wasn't here."

* * *

"Hey, you're out of bed!" Matt greeted Ace.

"Yes and thank God for that!" Ace laughed.

"So I talked to Hal."

"I was right, right?" Ace asked, and then added. "Because I'm always right you know."

Matt smiled. "Yes, you were right."

"Of course I was, you see I'm always right." Ace pointed out.

Matt laughed. "Yes, I remember being told that about you."

Suddenly Ace turned serious. "You're a very lucky man Matt Mason, to have a family like yours in a time like this."

Matt nodded. "I know"

"Promise me something Matt, call it a favour to an old lady."

"You're not that old." Matt interrupted.

"That's very kind of you, but promise me anyway."

"What do you want me to promise?"

"Promise me that you'll talk to your family, that you won't carry your burdens alone, nobody should be alone in this world. "

"I promise." Matt told her solemnly, he was quiet for a moment, then asked. "When you need to talk to somebody, will you talk to Pope?"

"Sure, and maybe, if you don't mind, I'll talk to my new friend." Ace pointed at Matt.

"That's what friends are for." Matt told her with a smile.

* * *

Only three days after Hal had woken up Tom walked into his room to find him sitting on the edge of the bed, seemingly with every intention to get up. "Woah, what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm getting out of here." Hal told him simply.

"What? You can't, Hal!" Tom rushed over to stop Hal as he started to pull at his IV.

Hal stared at his father's hand now encircling his wrist stopping him from pulling it out. Then he looked up at his father. "I have to get out."

There was a desperation in Hal's voice that made Tom nod. "Alright just sit tight for just a little longer, I'm going to get Anne so she can remove your IV okay?"

Hal nodded so Tom rushed off to find Anne.

Several minutes later Anne walked into the room. "So your father tells me you're ready for a change of scenery?"

"Yeah I just have to get out of here." Hal told her as he watched her carefully extract the IV.

Just as she was finishing Tom came in slightly out of breath, carrying some of Hal's old clothes. "They're probably a bit too big now, but at least they're warm." Tom told him as he moved to help Hal into them. "And one of the nurses is bringing a wheelchair."

Hal scowled at that."I don't need a wheelchair."

Anne who had been about to leave stopped. "Hal, you're still weak and your leg..."

"Is fine." Hal interrupted her.

"Hal." Tom tried to argue, but Hal shook his head.

"I'm fine, just give me my cane." He told them.

"Cane?"

Hal pointed to the stick next to Bug's bed.

"Bug's stick?" Tom went to fetch the thing, one of the rescued men had taken it from the camp and given it to Bug who had kept it possessively next to her bed, they had just assumed she saw it as some sort of toy.

"It's not Bug's, it's mine." Hal motioned his father to give it to him, Tom handed it over and watched with a look of concern as Hal slid of the bed, keeping his weight on his right foot and the stick. Then he carefully put his left foot down. Tom watched Hal flinch, grit his teeth and then he was walking. It was a slow, limping walk, but he was walking.

* * *

_End of chapter six. _


	7. Chapter 7

The Post War Dream

**Summary:** Hal told Maggie about his post war dream, but then he gets taken by Skitters right before her eyes. Will Hal get to live his post war dream or is there nothing left but nightmares? Set at the end of season 3.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of it and I'm not making any money from this, although if anybody wants to pay me to do this it would be greatly appreciated. Payments in chocolates are especially encouraged, and yes I know people don't read the disclaimer, but still it's worth a shot right?

**Author's note:** I started writing this almost right after the season finale of season 3. When I had written about half the story my hard drive was damaged and I lost everything. With great relieve I dug out the backups I had made, I opened the backup of this story and realised I had made the backup just before I wrote some of the most important (and difficult) parts of this story. I bravely refused to cry (Although the cussing has probably gotten me uninvited to the block party), but I was too disheartened to start over, so I gave up on the story. Then season 4 started and suddenly I was once again inspired and decided to go for a rewrite after all. This means **this story ignores all of season 4!**

* * *

_Should we shout, should we scream  
"What happened to the post war dream?"_

_-Pink Floyd_

* * *

The moment Hal stepped outside he visibly relaxed. "Just had to see it, makes it real you know." He offered as an explanation.

Tom led them to a bench looking out over the liberty tree and they sat down. They sat in silence for a while, just as Tom had decided he should think of something to say, Hal spoke. "I had a friend in the camp, we called him Trapper."

Tom did a quick check in his head and couldn't remember there being a Trapper among the people they rescued.

Hal continued. "Two days before you guys came Trapper just... broke." Hal's eyes were fixed on the liberty tree, but it was clear he was seeing something else. "He killed himself."

"I'm so sorry Hal." Tom offered helplessly.

Hal turned to look at his father. "Two days dad, if he'd just... two days."

A sob escaped Hal's mouth and Tom quickly pulled his son into a tight hug. Hal buried his head in his father's shoulder and clung to him as the emotions washed over him. They sat like that for a long time before Hal finally pulled away.

"I'm so sorry Hal, I failed you" Tom tried to find a way to explain his guilt to Hal, but Hal interrupted him.

"Don't apologize dad, it wasn't your fault, you have nothing to apologize for, you didn't give up on me, you found me, that's all that matters."

Tom nodded. "I never gave up, I knew you were out there and that if I just kept looking, I would find you."

"I knew you wouldn't stop looking, I told them all that one day the 2nd mass was going to come rescue us."

Tom studied his son.

"What?" Hal asked.

"I've spent all this time walking around with this guilt, all these what ifs, what if I'd done something different, what if I hadn't assigned you and Maggie that south side..."

"If's an illusion, if is for children building daydreams, things happened the way they happened, it wasn't your fault and you can't let that haunt you." Hal told him seriously.

Tom shook his head. "I've been carrying over a year's worth of guilt."

"If it makes you feel better I forgive you, whatever wrongs you think you did me, I forgive you for all of them."

"Just like that?"

Hal nodded. "Of course, you're my dad, I love you, and like I said, you have nothing to be forgiven for, even if you think you do."

"I can see why they chose you as their leader." Tom told him proudly.

Hal shrugged. "I guess leadership runs in the family."

"Speaking of family, not that I'm complaining, but how exactly did I become grandpa?" Tom asked with a chuckle.

Hal ran a hand through his hair. "Yeah, I'm sorry for springing that on you like that, I was kinda desperate."

"Well normally you get about nine months advance notice on these kind off things, and I will admit that a little time to get used to the idea would have been nice, but once you get over the shock it's just a wonderful thing."

Hal smirked noticing the fondness in his fathers voice knowing he had already fully accepted Bug no questions asked. "Everybody says I adopted Bug, but really it was the other way around, some of the Skitters guarding the camp were picking on her and I protected her, after that she came up to me and called me daddy...I simply didn't have the heart to deny her."

"I'm really proud of you Hal." Tom told him.

Hal shrugged. "She needed someone to look after her and no one else was doing it."

"That's because it takes a special kind of man to care so deeply."

Hal shrugged again, but didn't argue.

"So why Bug?" Tom asked as he and Hal watched a couple of Charleston children play.

"She likes bugs, she's good at finding and catching them." Hal said keeping his eyes trained on the children.

Tom nodded. "Okay, now tell me the whole story."

Hal took his eyes off the scene before him to look at his father and Tom almost hurt physically at the emotions he could see swirling in his oldest son's eyes.

"You don't want to hear the whole story dad."

Tom laid a hand on Hal's arm. "I do Hal, I'm your dad, I want to know, why do you call her Bug?"

Hal shook his head and turned his attention back on his surroundings. For a while Tom thought he was just going to ignore the question, then he started talking.

"We were hungry, starving, so whenever she managed to catch an insect, she'd eat it." Hal paused for a moment, as if giving his father time to retract the question. Tom stayed silent.

"So I told her that if she kept eating bugs she'd turn into one herself, instead of deterring her she really liked that idea." A half smile formed on Hal's lips. "She reasoned that if she turned into a bug she would grow wings and she could fly away. Of course she didn't want to fly away on her own, so long story short, whatever they tell you, they taste nothing like chicken." Hal finished with a smirk that never reached his eyes.

* * *

"Maggie's avoiding me isn't she?" Hal asked as Anne studied the healing wounds on his arm.

He watched her struggle for the right thing to say for a bit, before finally simply settling on. "Yes."

"It's because of the post war dream isn't it?"

Anne sighed. "I don't know why Hal, she's not really talking to anyone, after you were taken she kind of withdrew, I had hoped that now that we have you back she'd come back to us, I don't know what's bothering her, but I wish I knew."

"Any chance you could convince her to come talk to me?" Hal asked.

Anne nodded. "I doubt it will work, but I'm willing to give it a try."

"Good, so what's the verdict?" Hal gestured at the arm Anne was now expertly bandaging again.

"It's healing slow but steady, which is a good sign, can you make a fist?" She asked and watched as Hal did as instructed. "Good, in time and with practice you'll get the strength back in your hand."

"Good as new?" Hal asked hopefully.

"Good as new, promise." Anne told him. "Now does your leg hurt?"

"All the time."

"You shouldn't have walked on it." Anne admonished him softly.

"It wasn't a choice." Anne looked at Hal questioningly, so Hal tried to explain. "If I can't walk I'm as good as dead."

"You were in a wheelchair before." Anne reminded him.

"Yes I had no choice, I couldn't walk, but the moment I could I learned to walk again, because the world we're living in is not one to face sitting down."

"But you're in pain." Anne pointed out.

Hal shrugged. "Better than being dead."

Anne couldn't argue with that. "Hal?" She asked hesitantly.

"Yes?"

"How did you injure your arm?" Anne watched emotions flash across Hal's face and she almost told him not to answer when Hal started speaking.

"There's these two brothers Tillie and Buzzard, Buzzard's nineteen, Tillie his little brother's sixteen."

"I think I met them, very polite those boys." Anne said remembering giving the two a medical check-up.

Hal scoffed. "I think they were just impressed to be faced with Anne Glass because the two of them, they're trouble. Tillie especially, doesn't always stop to think before he does things, which in our situation is rather a life saving skill, so one day, Tillie got fed up with our situation, he got angry and before I knew it, he had hurled a rock at one of the guards, not even a rock, more like a pebble, but this particular skitter did not seem to care what it was, all he cared about was hurting Tillie, so I intervened."

Anne waited for Hal to say more, but this seemed to be the end of his story.

* * *

Tom couldn't help himself and quietly stepped into Hal's hospital room, just to remind himself his eldest was really home, and to check on him and Bug. Just as he'd once again convinced himself that it was all real and that both Hal and Bug were alright a soft sound from Hal drew his attention. His eldest was moaning softly and moving restlessly in his sleep. He watched for a moment as Hal's eyes moved rapidly beneath his closed eyelids, then reached over and shook him slightly. The reaction was instant, Hal shot upright almost bowling his father over in the process. He sat there breathing rapidly and casting his eyes around to find any immediate danger.

"Shh, it's okay, it was just a nightmare." Tom reassured him as Hal's eyes found him.

Hal turned to check on Bug and found her safe and sound. "Just a nightmare." He echoed softly.

"What was it about?" Tom sat himself down besides his son.

Hal sighed. "Nothing just stuff."

"You know you can talk to me right?" Tom asked gently.

Hal shook his head. "I can't, I don't want you to look at me different."

"I won't, you're my son."

Hal continued to shake his head. "But you already do, you keep looking at me with this look of guilt."

Tom stared at Hal in shock. "I'm sorry, I hadn't realized."

"You still feel guilty about what happened to me, even though I told you it wasn't your fault."

"I can't help it you're my son, I'm supposed to protect you." Tom tried to explain.

"You did, you never gave up on me, you never stopped looking, you found me." Hal tried to get his point across.

Tom shook his head. "No parent wants to see their child hurt or suffering, a parent is supposed to be there to stop that from happening."

"You can't protect your children from everything, it's not possible, it's like that time I broke my arm playing lacrosse, you beat yourself up over not having been at that game, but it would have happened whether you were there or not."

Tom studied Hal for a while.

"What?" Hal finally asked.

"Nothing, you just sounded so much like your mother just now." Tom shook his head sadly. "After the Skitters took you, I realized all the things I never told you, all the things I never apologized for."

Hal shook his head. "It doesn't matter, none of it matters."

"But it does matter, it matters to me, you're my son and I love you." Tom tried to explain desperately.

"And I love you dad, which is exactly why none of it matters." Hal in turn tried to explain. "If there was only one thing you could have told me, before I was taken, what would it have been?"

Tom hesitated. "That I love you"

"Exactly, that's the only thing that really matters, and I already knew that, I didn't need you to tell me that, and that knowledge kept me going, knowing there were people out there who loved me."

Tom sat speechless, so Hal continued. "I knew all I needed to know, you told me the one thing I really needed to hear, so will you please stop feeling so guilty?"

Tom sighed shakily. "I guess I can try."

"Good."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk about your nightmare?"

Hal shook his head one last time. "Not tonight dad, but I promise I'll come talk to you when I'm ready, okay?"

"That's all I can ask for." Tom conceded.

* * *

_End of chapter seven. Bonus points for anyone who caught the Roger Whittaker reference! _


	8. Chapter 8

The Post War Dream

**Summary:** Hal told Maggie about his post war dream, but then he gets taken by Skitters right before her eyes. Will Hal get to live his post war dream or is there nothing left but nightmares? Set at the end of season 3.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any of it and I'm not making any money from this, although if anybody wants to pay me to do this it would be greatly appreciated. Payments in chocolates are especially encouraged, and yes I know people don't read the disclaimer, but still it's worth a shot right?

**Author's note:** I started writing this almost right after the season finale of season 3. When I had written about half the story my hard drive was damaged and I lost everything. With great relieve I dug out the backups I had made, I opened the backup of this story and realised I had made the backup just before I wrote some of the most important (and difficult) parts of this story. I bravely refused to cry (Although the cussing has probably gotten me uninvited to the block party), but I was too disheartened to start over, so I gave up on the story. Then season 4 started and suddenly I was once again inspired and decided to go for a rewrite after all. This means **this story ignores all of season 4!**

* * *

_Should we shout, should we scream  
"What happened to the post war dream?"_

_-Pink Floyd_

* * *

Anne had agreed that fresh air and sunlight would do Hal good so he had taken the opportunity to take Bug outside to play. He chatted aimlessly with Uke, Bear and some of the other survivors while he watched Bug play with some Charleston children.

"You lied about the mess hall." Bear said casually.

"No I didn't, they changed it." Hal defended himself.

Uke laughed. "Yeah, that's a good excuse."

"Hey, you can't expect everything to stay the same..." Hal sentence trailed of when a man charged up to Bug and roughly pushed her to the ground. "Hey, What do you think you're doing?" Hal was up and at Bug's side faster than anyone thought possible.

"You keep that girl away from my son, nobody knows what those aliens did to you people, and I don't care to find out." The man told Hal.

"What? Afraid we've got alien cooties?" Uke sneered. Without Hal noticing the entire group had arranged themselves around him and Bug.

The man glared at Uke. "All I know is, they had you for a long time, we don't know what they might have done to you, you could all have eye bugs and come to murder us all in our sleep one night."

"We're not infected with anything, doctor Glass checked all of us." Hal reassured the man, trying to keep his tone even.

"Well they might've done something she can't check for, you shouldn't be here and I don't want anything to do with you people." The man spat. Bear made a move towards the man, but Hal stopped him with a small hand gesture. The man went on unaware. "And I certainly don't want that filthy kid of yours near my son."

This time Hal nearly moved himself, but Bug clutching his leg tightly kept him from doing anything stupid. "Well that's a real shame, because I think your son and my daughter could become friends, and maybe he could even learn a thing or two from her." Hal pried Bug's hand from his leg turned around resolutely and led her away.

"Why is that man so mean daddy?" Bug asked quietly.

"He's being mean because he's afraid." Hal tried to explain.

"Afraid of me?" Bug asked confused.

"No sweetheart, he's afraid of the aliens." Hal tried again.

Bug nodded. "I'm afraid of the aliens too, but I know you would never let them hurt me."

Hal nodded with a smile. "That's right sweetheart, I would never let them hurt you."

"So is that why that man's so mean? Cause he doesn't have anybody who'll protect him from the aliens?"

Hal smiled as Bug figured out the problem without him having to explain it. "Exactly, smart girl, he does the protecting for his son, but he doesn't have anyone who does it for him, so he's scared, and that makes him be mean."

Bug was thoughtful for a moment. "You can protect him too, can't you daddy? Then he'll have somebody who looks after him, and he won't be so scared and then he won't be mean anymore!"

"That sounds like a great idea sweetheart." Hal laughed and kissed her hair. "You're quickly becoming just as smart as your daddy."

"I'll never be as smart as you, you're the smartest daddy in the world." Bug told him.

"I don't know about the smartest, but I might just be the luckiest daddy in the world to have such a sweet, clever and wonderful little girl."

* * *

"So remember you said I could talk to you?" Hal stood in the doorway to Anne and Tom's room.

Tom nodded and sat down on the edge of the bed offering the space next to him to Hal. "Still stands."

Hal sat down and ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.

"Whatever it is Hal, you can tell me." Tom encouraged him gently.

"I killed a man." Hal said it so softly Tom had to strain to hear it.

"What happened?" Tom asked, making sure to keep his voice steady so as not to give away the emotions swirling inside him.

"We called him Jude, I don't even know his real name, we were making plans, to try and escape, Jude resented the fact that I had been chosen leader, he thought himself the better man for the job." Hal laughed, but there was no humor in the sound. "I told him he could have the job, I didn't want it, of course nobody would listen to Jude, they only listened to me."

Tom nodded. "The cult."

Hal looked up at his father. "You've been talking to Uke I hear."

Tom nodded. "What happened with Jude?" He prodded gently.

"He challenged me to a fight, as if leadership was only about physical strength, I tried to explain, but he wouldn't understand, I think he thought himself the strongest, he thought he could beat me."

"He didn't?" Tom couldn't suppress the small spark of pride surging through him.

Hal shook his head. "No, he may have been stronger, but he fought stupid, didn't use his brain, so after I beat him, Jude decided to quench his thirst for power elsewhere, he was going to tell the guards about our escape plans."

Tom felt white hot rage start to creep up on him and only managed to calm himself by mentally reminding himself that the man Hal was talking about was dead.

Hal meanwhile went on oblivious. "I caught up with him, just before he was going to do it, I couldn't let him betray us like that, and I knew I could never trust him again, I had to stop him, and I couldn't see any other way." A tear made its way down Hal's face. "He hadn't done anything, not really, not yet."

"Oh Hal." Tom wrapped his arms around his son trying to ignore the pain of his own breaking heart at the sight of Hal in so much pain. "You did what you had to."

"I killed him dad." Hal's teary eyes sought Tom's as if trying to find some sign of rejection, disgust or disapproval, but he found nothing of the kind.

"You had no choice Hal, you had to protect your people."

"There was so much blood." Hal stared down at his hands as if the blood was still there.

Tom gently covered Hal's hands with his. "I've said it before, and I'll say it again Hal, I'm so proud of you."

Hal's eyes shot up to meet his fathers in shock.

Tom continued unfazed. "You lead those people as best as you could, and judging by the way they love and admire you, you did it very well, and you never lost faith, even in the eye of things that would make lesser man forsake everything, I'm so proud of you Hal, and that will never change."

"Never?"

"Never."

Later Tom found a quiet moment to talk to Uke again.

"I understand." He told her.

She nodded and smiled. "He was always the only one who could lead us."

* * *

Ben heard Hal's voice drift into the hallway, he stopped in the doorway and looked inside to find Bug snuggled up to Hal in the bed and Lexie settled comfortably at the foot of the bed. Hal was holding a book and reading out loud.

"'_But you said_' began Pooh, '_you said that Tiggers liked everything except honey and haycorns_.' '_And thistles_' said Tigger." Hal showed Bug and Lexie the picture in the book of Tigger eating the thistles. "Pooh looked at him sadly. '_What are we going to do?_' he asked Piglet."

When Hal started reading Piglet in a high squeaky voice Ben burst out laughing.

Hal looked up to find Ben in the doorway. "What's so funny?"

Ben managed to compose himself a little. "Nothing, please continue." he said with a chuckle.

"It's Winnie the Pooh!" Bug announced happily.

"Well it sounds absolutely thrilling." Ben told her still trying to suppress the laughter.

"Don't laugh, it's nice." Lexie swatted at Ben for good measure.

Ben stepped aside quickly to avoid his sisters swipe and his back bumped into a tray table and he flinched.

"Your spikes bothering you again?" Lexie asked as she noticed this.

Ben shook his head. "Its nothing I'm fine."

"Read on daddy." Bug insisted and pointed at the book for emphasis.

Hal shot Ben a last worried look before starting reading again. He had just finished reading Piglet's suggestion to go see Christopher Robin, when suddenly Ben collapsed with a groan of pain.

"Bug, Lexie, go find Anne and dad!" Hal instructed as he got out of bed and lowered himself down onto the floor next to Ben. Bug and Lexie wasted no time and flew out the door.

"Ben, hey, what's wrong?"

"Hurts." Was all Ben managed to ground out.

"What hurts Ben, your back?" Hal asked, Ben merely nodded. "Alright, hold on Ben, I got you."

* * *

_End of chapter eight. The next chapter will be the last, however my laptop is once again breaking down on me, so it will have to go for repairs again... So although the last chapter only needs a few more lines to complete it, I have no idea when I'll be able to post it, but rest assured I will post it, I will not leave you hanging!_


End file.
